To encourage clarity and urgency in policymaking on climate change, relevant and timely data must be available. It is therefore important to assess how statistical systems are faring with respect to compilation of data on climate change and the development of related statistical capacity. 

 

As of March 2024, the Global Set’s tier classifications revealed significant data gaps across all five policy areas of climate change. However, there was a pronounced scarcity of data, or an absence of internationally comparable data compilation, among Global Set indicators for climate change impacts, vulnerability, mitigation, and adaptation. 

Among the five policy areas, only “drivers” (35%) exceeded 10% of its indicators classified as tier 1 (i.e., relevant, methodologically sound, and for which more than 50% of participating economies had national-level data available). This is likely because economies and international organizations routinely collect driver-related data, including total greenhouse gas emissions and measures of energy production, supply, and consumption. The “impacts” and “adaptation” categories had 9% of their indicators classified as tier 1, while only 6% of “mitigation” indicators reached this classification. The “vulnerability” category had the fewest tier 1 indicators, at less than 4%. 

 

Importantly, the absence of any area having more than 50% of its indicators classified as tier 1 underscores the urgent need to enhance statistical capacity for compiling climate change data based on the Global Set.